CHAPTER VII. 



THE CIVET CATS. 



THE CRYPTOPROCTID.'E — THE GALET — THE VIVERRID.E — THE CIVET — THE ZIBETH — THE GENETS 

 — THE PALE GENET — THE LINSANG — THE HEMIGALE — THE BINTURONG — THE NANDINIA — THE 

 POUGOUNE — THE Ml'SANG — THE MASKED PAGUMA — THE MAMPALON — THE ICHNEUMONS — THE 

 MUNGOS OR MANGOUSTE — THE EGYPTIAN ICHNEUMON — THE CRAB-EATING MANGOUSTE — THE 

 ZEBRA MANGOUSTE— THE MEERKAT — THE ZENICK — THE MANQUE — THE BANDED MUNGOS. 



THE family Crvptoproctid.e forms a link between the Cats or 

 Felidse and the Civets or Viverridee, and contains only one genus 

 and that genus but one species. In figure this animal resembles 

 the Yaguarundi, in color the Cougar ; it has the build, the appearance 

 and dentition of the felines, the long body, short legs, short ears, long 

 whiskers and naked soles of the Civets, as well as the remarkable' inguinal 

 glands that characterize the latter. 



THE GALET. 



The Galet, Cryptoprocta ferox (Plate XII), attains the length ot nearly 

 three feet m the body with a tail about two feet and three quarters. Its 

 fur is short, thick and stiff, and seems shorn on the head and feet ; the 

 color is a reddish-yellow, darker on the back; its eyes are like those of 

 the common cat. 



The Galet or the Ferret Cat, as the Germans have named it, comes 

 from Madagascar, where it is dreaded to a laughable extent. It attacks 

 the Lemurs, and is a foe to domestic fowl, and occasionally to swine. Its 

 flesh is highly prized as a delicacy by the Malagaseys. 



Pollens, the traveler, relates that his native huntsman one day came 

 face to face with a Galet. The creature was surprised and began to spit 

 at him. The huntsman in terror flung away his gun, climbed up a tree 

 and stayed there, trembling in every limb, till the animal had disappeared 

 in the thickets. 



